The mandate, which requires nearly all taxpayers without it to purchase health insurance next year, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in a historic 2012 decision.

The government Wednesday explained rules for exemptions to the mandate in regulations regarding IRS penalties for those who choose to remain uninsured after the 2009 Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, The Hill reported.

Individuals eligible for exemptions include people with religious objections to traditional healthcare, people for whom healthcare is not affordable, undocumented aliens, and people who don't make enough to pay federal taxes.

Short gaps in coverage due to temporary unemployment between jobs won't trigger a fine.

HHS called the health coverage mandate, the most unpopular part of the healthcare reform law, a system of "shared responsibility" payments.

The penalty for not having health coverage "applies only to the limited group of taxpayers who choose to spend a substantial period of time without coverage despite having ready access to affordable coverage," an HHS fact sheet said.

Individuals who choose not to purchase medical insurance in 2014 -- and don't quality for an exemption from the mandate  will be subject to a $95 fine. The penalty grows to $695 by 2016 and then rises annually.

The fact sheet noted the Congressional Budget Office had determined that fewer than 2 percent of Americans would be required to make a payment under the mandate.

Suppose you have a sanctioned objection, as if you are cheap and Muslim, and exempted. What happens if you get sick? Do you get free medical care without having paid the underlying mandated charge? Or are you out of the system entirely, and need to pay out of pocket on your own?

I’m asking because I don’t know the answer, but I suspect that a free ride is available for protected classes.

The funny part in all of this healthcare bs is that it is still law! I have not heard 1 so-called conservative, in a leadership position, ask for its repeal in a long time. It is also funny that a budget would be a way for conservatives to eliminate it. If they wanted this law to be gone, it would be. This law just gives the ruling class cover for a few years. This is all smoke and mirrors. Neither party will give up this power over the people.

With this law also lets government decides what a mental disorder is. Think about what happens down the road. What if a panel decides in the near future that some phobia that gun owners have makes them not eligible to own a firearm anymore? You see the possibilities of what they can do to us? Maybe your son needs a kidney or dialysis(god forbid), could that change your mind about turning over your gun? The possibilities of actions the government can do now is endless. Regards, J

I wonder if there would be a religious exemption if your religion rejected government health care as “Satanic”?

If I was going to create such a religion, I would give it a name that really ticked off the leftists, like “Socialist Democrats for Christ”. Among its tenets:

1) Abortion provision and abortion advocacy are mortal sins done only by the followers of Baal-Moloch, and those who seek the destruction of all dark skinned people.
2) Government involvement in health care is a form of worship of the antichrist.
3) Homosexuals are witches. Wiccans. Whatever.
4) Defense of one’s family and oneself with firearms is a sacred duty. Only lead bullets will slay demons, so demons seek to outlaw them.
5) Socialism demands that religion is the basis of the law, that marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, that money must be backed by gold, and that war against heathen unbelievers is required by heaven.
6) Democrats see Muslims as nothing more than animals, lower than pigs and dogs, but superior to rats.

The budget is a funny thing. The repubs are playing along. The people do not want it. Over 70% dont want it. Hold the dems to the matt about this. Shut down thr gov. They can win on this issue. They don’t even talk about it. I am sorry, no one is talking about it. They are talking about things that don’t matter to us. We have the worst economy since the 30’s and we are talking about amnesty for 20 million people? Does that make sense to you? I can not believe people are that naive.

It will be the same as going to an emergency room today without coverage...the taxpayer will cover it eventually.

OK. So what if you just don't pay. Suppose you aren't in a protected class, but you just don't pay. As I recall the law, the IRS can't collect these fines, although it can levy them. What happens then? Free medical care? AN escalating IRS debt? Do they partition the debt between back taxes of the usual kind and back medical mandates? I just don't get how this is supposed to work (although I know I'll get screwed and pay for it anyway).

Yes free medical care..the system and at least informally Americans insist that you get care regardless of your ability to pay.

As to the IRS they will levy the fines and withhold the fine from any refund or government benefit you may receive. I believe the IRS is prohibited from taking what they call “collection action” but they are not prohibited from withholding the amounts from any money you have due. Also they will put you in the CAIVRS system as owing a debt to the government preventing you from getting government backed mortgages. They are plenty of other ways they will dun you without actually initiating a “collection action”.

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